The trials:Why your character think the empress noticed him? One of his quality? Something he did before? How your character feel about the trials? Does he want to be part of it, or he was forced to comply?

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I'm moving abroad in one month. Packing the whole family and drama!

Rana is a 5'7", tan skinned woman with long, black, wavy hair. Her brown eyes sparkle with with inhuman wit and her face beholds natural beauty. Her frame is slender and always draped in some form of silk or other fineries of red color that accentuates the hips and leaves bare her neck and arms.

Rana is a temperate scholar and aristocrat, formerly resigned to a fate of being some bride or concubine to the lesser families of nobility. That being the case she grew to have many forms of knowledge retained and practical skills learned to be a good wife. To earn good rapport among the noble families she spent much of her time away from the palace, socializing with the leaders of the community in Birone. She holds in high regard the future of her family so she had tried her utmost to represent them best in public.

Your family: Rana is related to the Sultana of the Matuzala Sultanate. Rana is a cousin to the current Sultana. Her father is the brother of the former Sultan and works as sorcerer-general of the families' forces. Her mother, an outsider to the family is a seer from the Yulaniz family, one of the few loyal vassals families not held in place by fear alone.

The trials: Rana, outside of the political field, has not quite been a prominent figure in her mind. Though she has connections in the high-class society Rana was merely holding her family together by whatever power her voice could carry. Perhaps the late Empress took notice of Rana's talents and decided that a silken glove, rather than a hand of her own blood, was what it took to maintain the Empire. Rana herself was hesitant to accept the invitation, but before the family could pressure her to go toward the trial to increase the families' power, she decided to take an escort into the night and trudge onward, allowing her to believe in the illusion of choice.

Background:

Born to the palace, Rana's early life was as sheltered and blessed as one could expect for a princess of the richest kingdom in the empire. She spent most of her days being taught by scribes and her mother, as well as being pampered by the servants and her father. Rana was, after all, the eldest daughter of Mana so she was the first to get the education on ladyship and serving a future husband to an ever-expanding family beneath her that swelled with the ranks of those that desired futures as warriors, aristocrats and wizards. Once she was ten, she was told to put aside dolls and playing exclusively with her silks, she was told by her father that whether or not one had ambition, they must develop skills in multiple facets of life as idleness made Al-zuna angered. So she went along and joined her similarly-aged brothers and cousins in combat training. It was not her specialty, but she was drilled in the basics of self-defense and hand-to-hand combat. Not too long after her sisters and younger brothers began to learn the same lessons.

By the age of fifteen she could leave the daily courses of combat training to focus more solely on scholastic matters. Years prior she was discovered to have the spark of talent for magic and, alongside her younger cousin, the Sultana herself, she had learned the basics of being a magus. She was drilled with more intensive teachers that taught the disciplines of memorizing incantations and reciting them in perilous situations. In time, she was able to devolve minor spells into more powerful bolts of elemental energy to conjured like one would a sword, javelin or throwing dart. Before not too long, she regularly drilled with these temporary elemental weapons in place of heavier ones, she had also made sure to keep up with this training for the years to come.

As the years of self-defense training made her, and most of her kin the equal for any veteran militia-man or trained footsoldier, Rana yet had to step down toward the reality that, as the eldest daughter of her father's family, her hand had already been the target of ambitious Emirs and Sheiks. It was only a matter of time before an offer was made and that she was wed off to keep peaceful relations in the realm. This had been the start of the years where she was pushed out into the public and immediately, jokingly, regretted not staying among the soldiers and drilling further in the arts of swordplay. Though, being a proud Motallebzadeh, she worked hard to flourish in the social circles as well as her studies on diplomacy, royal grace, manners, court intrigues and seduction had prepared her for.

While Rana was certain that her dearest cousin Adira was having no easier time, now being handed the title and crown of the Sultana, she couldn't help but feel envious for those close by her. The vizier Kamilah had kept a deal of womanly freedom and, being the Sultana, Adira was capable of choosing her own lord husband that pleased her, as none could sanely reject the authority of the ruler of this land, as inexperienced and womanly as she is. So it was that Rana stood there trying her best to make her family happy while envying their positions and sometimes imitating them for her own humor in the shadows. By the time that Adira was sent the message that Rana had been the empress candidate, Rana could not be in belief of the conversation taking place. As she, in all her prior envy had to be washed away as she bowed her head, and accepted the charge of possibly becoming the leader of a world that stretched far beyond the borders of the metropolis of Birone.

NPC relationship (minimum 3):

Jimal Motallebzadeh, Rana's Father

Age:43

Race:Human

Occupation:General

Description: One of the Sultanate's six highest commanders and Rana's father. As a General, Jimal is a novice strategist that has lead the families' magician heavy armies from the front lines alongside his son. He is mainly distant when it comes to the education of his children and other such matters of family and politics. Since his brother had died he made it a point to make more public appearances to gloat and flaunt his, and his armies' deeds in the field despite most of their numbers were heavily dependent on the Empire to win its wars.

Mana Motallebzadeh, Rana's Mother

Age:37

Race:Human

Occupation:Seer

Description: Mana is the first wife of Jimal, third daughter of the Yulaniz dynasty's Sheikdom. She served her husband faithfully as a seer for his army force before the time on unification, but now she is teaching her children and the children of concubines in the uses of magic, whether or not one had the talent for such a thing. She was a rather collected person compared to her husband, which made her more pleasant to be around for the sake of servants and other nobility.

Mahlak Motallebzadeh, Rana's Brother

Age:23

Race:Human

Occupation:Military Officer

Description: Rana's eldest, and most prominent brother. As one of the cousins to the Sultana, and previously out of any obvious line of succession, he had to take a career in the military, serving beneath his father. He, lacking any talent in magic had no choice but to spend his schooling focused upon arms and tactics. This deficiency in magic had lead him to be essentially a superior strategist to his father, although he has difficulty maneuvering magical members of the Sultan's guard.

PCs relationships (5 PCs minimum):

name

First Impression:

Relationship:

body text.

Isosha Ostinato

First Impression: Amiable

Relationship: Distant Friendship

The first encounter with Isosha was an interesting one. At first glance, Isosha seemed to be some sort of pampered lady of the court. In essence, Rana's guess was not far off in the slightest, only when it came to form. Talking among the crowds of nobles, while Rana herself was among royalty tends to limit the lines of conversation. Thankfully Isosha seemed to be quite frank and relatable, if not an impressive idealist. She found it rather worrying how easy it was to lead some more private conversations into philosophically dark spaces while keeping the conversation cheerful. Rana walked away from such a party being able to sympathize with the girl, but would adamantly refuse to share grievances as loose lips made for poor friendships, though she did learn much about the seven free cities from her new friend.

Hasan Chakkal

First Impression: Respectful

Relationship: Cautious Kinship

Though minor nobles are more well-known for keeping their heads down and their diplomacy brief if they weren't the fool, Hasan appeared otherwise. Being neither a fool or a coward, he was up in the front of most groups leading with suave jokes and continuing conversation with express interest in business. For a few moments Rana viewed him more as a merchant, and she was rather happy that she was somewhat correct. As conversation between her spheres and his collided, she began amassing quite an eerie list of similarities. Regretfully, when the time for meet and greet had started between the two, likely his reputation earned proceeded him, and Rana's place in nobility and fame likely proceeded herself. The two had little to discuss to each other and most of the meeting was a formality of putting faces to rumors. She saw in him a masculine counterpart to herself, she was quite torn about this in the days following, but she saw fit to comment on how Birone, the mountain of gems, could always use more stone traders, in a jovial tone. She did not dislike the man, but status aside, she had no business consorting with merchants rivaling her Sultanate's trade, and the likenesses between made her cautious and fearful to no end.

Olesia Elizaveta Knox

First Impression: Disappointed

Relationship: Reflected Kinship

There was much Rana learned about her tolerance for the subject of selflessness when meeting with the sole heir to House Knox, a noble family that despite its fame and wealth has cornered itself into faith-based celibacy. It was almost depressing to Rana to speak with the oathbound knight that was raised in the place of a courtly lady, or at the very least, one capable of repopulating their family without saying some twenty oaths in the name of Eryka. While what can be only generously called as a lady stood before her, Rana could begin to see reflections of herself in that being, despite what dire political straits House Knox put itself in. Behind a neutral, smiling guise Rana had to mentally invoke the name of Al-Zuna for the first time in her life for the strength required to not take advantage of this woman for a political family gain. Not quite getting what strength her prayers had called for, she did manage to swindle a meeting between one of Rana's yet to be married male cousins and Olesia. Hopefully, with half of Rana's charm and guile, cousin Gawwlad can get some more masculine hands to grasp upon his own, like he had always written about in his diaries.

René Bertrand Claude de Saint-Martin

First Impression: Anti-social

Relationship: Interested

Rana likely met the scholarly, reclusive man at the same party as she had met Hasan Chakkal. René appeared to be someone's attendant, or a merchant's bookkeeper that had been invited along as a reward. The man certainly did seem to be enjoying the access to the wine and the imperial feasts. With a book in one hand and a wine glass in the other, he did seem to ward away any attentions. It was quite a remarkable skill to be honest, if not quite lonely and contrary to what one does at a party. Not knowing the man's name, or status, Rana had to inquire those that she had made friendly contact with, a princess chancing an interaction with some If that were the casedrunkard could be an international tragedy. When she indirectly asked for his name, she heard the self-important response along with the irritation that came from being distracted from his studies. Rana had to smirk, but in the sake of socializing had to withdraw from the indirect contact with the man for the strenuous interaction it would have been. Later she remarked it as a terrible tragedy that status and family position prevented direct interaction with some scholar likely of someone else's vassalage.

Prior to the events that lead Sebastian to join the army, he was dragged by the sleeve to a party with, what seemed to be his relatives. Some sort of meeting among the royal families of the Empire at the time. Of course Rana was much younger, deep in her studies and upon the cusp of her womanhood. She then felt safe wandering about parties without an escort or a circle of socialites about her wherever she tread. She only spared few words with him as he scouted the children of royalty like prey. At the time she hadn't offered many spare words to him except when he was verbally wounded at the dejection of ladies of high court to someone with adopted titles. She might had offered him some encouragement in the way of a offer...that she cannot quite remember. She just remembers her brother finding her soon after to get a reprimand by her father.

Sayyida al-Hurra

First Impression: Blunt

Relationship: Distant Relations, Friendly

Rana had met her distant cousin for the first time a few years past. It came as a surprise to her to hear about even more distant relations to the Sultanate, well not exactly, but it isn't exactly a commonly told story that one's great grandparent was a legend on the seas and a traitor to the throne. But as three degrees of peerage had passed, there aught not to be much legal issue with Sayyida presenting herself in public alongside a Motallebzadeh. The time spoken was brief, and the woman's lineage was hinted at. Rana might have slipped in a coy tease or two, but she was not threatening or hostile by any means. The meeting parted with the best well wishing a sailor could give to a royal and a royal to a sailor. Meaning likely Sayyida had cursed Rana's good fortune as soon as her back was turned, and Rana could only compliment manners as the other nobility were out of earshot.

Great, the relationship with the Sultana work just fine. It's a very large family, because the former sultan and all his predecessor had a harem. So the sultana has a lot of sister, brother, cousin, uncles...

This country is much like the Arabian nights novel.

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I'm moving abroad in one month. Packing the whole family and drama!

Great, the relationship with the Sultana work just fine. It's a very large family, because the former sultan and all his predecessor had a harem. So the sultana has a lot of sister, brother, cousin, uncles...

This country is much like the Arabian nights novel.

That was indeed what I was going for, which is why Rana's brothers are mainly put into military practice, I'm pretty sure I can make the family section much longer but I am having trouble finding good pictures to st-...reuse for the characters present.

That was indeed what I was going for, which is why Rana's brothers are mainly put into military practice, I'm pretty sure I can make the family section much longer but I am having trouble finding good pictures to st-...reuse for the characters present.

Vastyrya has a lot of monk monasteries in those mountains with all kind of martial arts style. I think a monk would wear a monk robe or kimono during the trip depending on how you see things. Traveling from Vastyrya to Selarya, is a long trip, she probably brought with her something more ceremonial for when she arrives at the capital. Monks are usually humble, but since it's the imperial court, she might have go for a monk robe in silk instead of the usual one.

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I'm moving abroad in one month. Packing the whole family and drama!